hello - I'm looking at two cruising boats. Main purpose will be typically day sailing and 3 - 5 day cruises Southern California waters. I am at early stages in sailing, and have been power boating for some time. Looking for comments? Thanks.
2008 hunter 38 or 2003 catalina 387
- Thread starter alf10
- Start date
If the Hunter has roller furling main, and is well-equipped, I would choose that boat. my friends have similar vintage Hunter 33’s, and they sail really well. One of the guys lives on his during the summer... a 38-footer would be 5 feet better!
Greg
Greg
You might want to ask an insurance broker which boat is easier to insure. Often they have insight into things that the average owners don't, and they have zero biases as they only look at claim and repair stats. Both are comparable brands, the Hunter will be a little easier to sail as the arch and B&R rig really is easy to get good performance out of, however the side decks of the Catalina may be a little lower and make stepping off when docking simpler. The Catalina has a little less freeboard as well making it a little easier to dock in a fresh breeze. Finish and layout are personal choices, however I have usually preferred the interior finish and interior use of space for Hunter over Catalina.
I will start by saying I have no personal experience on either of these boats.
I personally like the look of the Catalina better. The Hunter 38 has a slightly lower PHRF rating which means, in theory, it might sail faster. Looking at the numbers (from sailboatdata.com ) the Hunter carries more sail and is a bit lighter which is likely why it has the faster rating. The ratings are close enough however that the condition of the sails would be more of a differentiation. Having more sail area means the Hunter will need to reef earlier and will be more tender than the Catalina. There was a comment about the Hunter being easier to sail because of the B&R rig and arch, I really don't know why that would make it easier. The arch gets the main sheet out of the cockpit and is great for adding solar panels and bimini but doesn't really do much for sail trim. It actually raises the boom, which pushes the sail area up higher, adding to overturning moment, making the boat more tender. The B&R rig, with large swept back spreaders, limits how far you can let the main out when sailing dead down wind. The big advantage of the B&R rig is there is no back stay, which allows a large roach in the main (more sail area) however, since the boat you are looking at has mainsail furling, the main has a flat roach (the leach is straight) so the B&R rig has no benefit. In fact, if the Catalina does not have mainsail furling, it will likely sail faster than the Hunter. If it were me, I would not buy a boat in this size range with in mast furling. A traditional main, with multiple reef points and lazy jacks, is more versatile and just as easy to handle.
It looks like both boats came with options for shoal draft (wing keels). The Catalina deep keel is deeper than the Hunter which might limit your anchoring locations, although it looks like you are in California so that may not be as much of a concern as on the East Coast.
You should evaluate the fit and finish of each boat yourself as well as the layout on deck and below. The maintenance and condition of the boat probably dictates the cost difference as much as anything. If you are really stuck on the decision you could have a surveyor go over both boats then review the condition of them to help you decide. Maybe the surveyor would give you a discount if you get two boats done together.
Good luck and welcome to sailing!
I personally like the look of the Catalina better. The Hunter 38 has a slightly lower PHRF rating which means, in theory, it might sail faster. Looking at the numbers (from sailboatdata.com ) the Hunter carries more sail and is a bit lighter which is likely why it has the faster rating. The ratings are close enough however that the condition of the sails would be more of a differentiation. Having more sail area means the Hunter will need to reef earlier and will be more tender than the Catalina. There was a comment about the Hunter being easier to sail because of the B&R rig and arch, I really don't know why that would make it easier. The arch gets the main sheet out of the cockpit and is great for adding solar panels and bimini but doesn't really do much for sail trim. It actually raises the boom, which pushes the sail area up higher, adding to overturning moment, making the boat more tender. The B&R rig, with large swept back spreaders, limits how far you can let the main out when sailing dead down wind. The big advantage of the B&R rig is there is no back stay, which allows a large roach in the main (more sail area) however, since the boat you are looking at has mainsail furling, the main has a flat roach (the leach is straight) so the B&R rig has no benefit. In fact, if the Catalina does not have mainsail furling, it will likely sail faster than the Hunter. If it were me, I would not buy a boat in this size range with in mast furling. A traditional main, with multiple reef points and lazy jacks, is more versatile and just as easy to handle.
It looks like both boats came with options for shoal draft (wing keels). The Catalina deep keel is deeper than the Hunter which might limit your anchoring locations, although it looks like you are in California so that may not be as much of a concern as on the East Coast.
You should evaluate the fit and finish of each boat yourself as well as the layout on deck and below. The maintenance and condition of the boat probably dictates the cost difference as much as anything. If you are really stuck on the decision you could have a surveyor go over both boats then review the condition of them to help you decide. Maybe the surveyor would give you a discount if you get two boats done together.
Good luck and welcome to sailing!
I have a 2008 Hunter 38 and love it. I have a neighbor on the dock about 4 boats down with the Catalina 387. Nice boat but after looking over both, I definitely prefer the Hunter. (maybe because I own it.) LOL
As long as the main is in good shape and the roller furling works well, I would lean towards the Hunter. It has a great interior and sails as well or better than the Catalina.
One question is the keel on the Hunter. I have the deep fin and that really helps the sailing ability.
As long as the main is in good shape and the roller furling works well, I would lean towards the Hunter. It has a great interior and sails as well or better than the Catalina.
One question is the keel on the Hunter. I have the deep fin and that really helps the sailing ability.
Having owned a cutter, and a B&R rigged sloop, as well as having sailed many sloops that are fractional and non fractional, I can say my experiences are that a fractionally rigged boat with a larger mainsail will generally be easier to sail, than one with a larger headsail. Having an arch with end boom sheeting gives a much better connection point for an extremely effective traveler. I find it much easier to set the exact twist of the mainsail with the traveler set high and aft, versus mid-boom sheeting. I find having a smaller head sail (110) with a fractional rig makes tacking much less work than with a large overlapping genoa. The smaller head sail also makes it easier to see forward when close sheeted. The boom is higher above the cockpit as you stated. It doesn't make the boat more tender if the boat is properly ballasted. It does mean you can have a bimini and dodger tall enough to stand up under comfortably, and that nobody will get hit in the noggin by a swinging boom. Again, a fair trade off that makes things a little easier for a newer sailor.
While I can sail the boat dead down wind, and have done so wing on wing, it's true that you cannot get the boom on a B&R rig out as far as what is ideal for this point of sail. On our old cutter I didn't have this issue. Even so, sailing at a deep broad reach in perfect trim is easily achieved, is faster, and has significantly less risk of an accidental gybe than a dead run. Sailing a gybing course of 20' off dead downwind usually results in a better over speed over ground to course, with less risk of an accidental gybe, and less rolling. Unless one plans on crossing the Atlantic on a tradewind route sailing DDW the entire way, a B&R rig should not be a concern for someone who's main purpose will be typically day sailing and 3 - 5 day cruises Southern California waters, and is a relatively new sailor.
Your comment on roach and inmast I would agree with, however unless purchased with the intent for racing, the performance losses will be compensated by never needing to flake or even raise/lower the main again unless re-rigging the boat. On my boat the mainsail is dropped into a stack-pack with single line reefing, full battens, and deep draft. These things make it a real joy to sail, but there are times when cruising and only going short distances where I don't bother with raising and lowering the main whereas if I had a furling mainsail I'd sail the shorter distances. The losses in performance are a trade off for a large reduction in workload. If cruising two handed that is a fair trade. If racing then maybe it isn't. As a performance cruiser guy I wasn't ready to go in-mast yet, but on a future boat I would consider it if the boat's sail plan was otherwise sound. For a newish sailor looking for a boat to cruise local waters for a week or two at a time, I can't see one reason not to consider in-mast unless racing was their primary interest.
There is no wrong decision here. Both are good boats. Catalina maybe just a little better build and resale value (thus the better price for the Hunter) Hunter better interior. But that all depends on how each has been maintained.
I've had 3 Hunters and much prefer a larger main and fractional jib (but that's me and I sail solo a lot and grew up sailing Hobies). But that's not to say the Catalina isn't a great boat. Both are decent coastal cruisers. The nice thing about both is that there are a ton of owners out there that can answer any questions you may have. Towards the bitter end there before the bankruptcy Hunter had some quality issues but I think the boats built in the early to mid 2000's are some of the best they made.
I've had 3 Hunters and much prefer a larger main and fractional jib (but that's me and I sail solo a lot and grew up sailing Hobies). But that's not to say the Catalina isn't a great boat. Both are decent coastal cruisers. The nice thing about both is that there are a ton of owners out there that can answer any questions you may have. Towards the bitter end there before the bankruptcy Hunter had some quality issues but I think the boats built in the early to mid 2000's are some of the best they made.
Fip a coin. I love the Hunters, but both boats are excellent. It would more come down to how well each has been maintained and more importantly how you feel on the boat when you have a look. Each have their own character and feel with regards to layout and comfort. Both will sail very well in what you're intending.
Alf10...Several months later now and just wondering if you made a decision. Did you purchase one or the other? If so, please share your experience so far as a follow up.
I'm in the process of making the same decision for a 38-40' boat (however I'm in S. FL and so would need the wing keel versions). I sailed a 2006 Hunter 36 in Miami for about two years with the ### membership program. Was an enjoyable experience and the boat was easy to sail single handed, however a bit more "sluggish" than I would have expected at times in lighter winds. Not sure the C-387 would be any better, but I've read that the larger head sail might be better in light air conditions. It also seems like Catalina sailors like flying downwind sails often (maybe because they're more effective with a smaller main???). I have no experience with downwind sails and the only Catalinas I've ever been on were shiny new ones at boat shows. Assuming both boats are "relatively" similar, I'm more concerned with accessibility to vital functions (engine, thru-hulls, pumps, genset if equipped, etc.).
The bigger challenge right now is just finding a boat for sale. It's currently, and for the foreseeable future, a complete "sellers market", and the inventory is extremely low (especially for the Catalina's on the east coast). Wanted to look at a C-385 last week, but it went under contract within 2 days of it's listing (sight unseen from an out of state buyer).
Stay the course!
I'm in the process of making the same decision for a 38-40' boat (however I'm in S. FL and so would need the wing keel versions). I sailed a 2006 Hunter 36 in Miami for about two years with the ### membership program. Was an enjoyable experience and the boat was easy to sail single handed, however a bit more "sluggish" than I would have expected at times in lighter winds. Not sure the C-387 would be any better, but I've read that the larger head sail might be better in light air conditions. It also seems like Catalina sailors like flying downwind sails often (maybe because they're more effective with a smaller main???). I have no experience with downwind sails and the only Catalinas I've ever been on were shiny new ones at boat shows. Assuming both boats are "relatively" similar, I'm more concerned with accessibility to vital functions (engine, thru-hulls, pumps, genset if equipped, etc.).
The bigger challenge right now is just finding a boat for sale. It's currently, and for the foreseeable future, a complete "sellers market", and the inventory is extremely low (especially for the Catalina's on the east coast). Wanted to look at a C-385 last week, but it went under contract within 2 days of it's listing (sight unseen from an out of state buyer).
Stay the course!